Laws of Unity
by RadiantFire
Summary: A visitor comes from Berk with long forgotten news. Hiccup can barely take in what she’s learned before she’s taken to the visitor’s homeland. It can only get worse if she’s not allowed to leave once she’s conpleteted long due plans. Fem Hiccup Male Astrid Human Toothless
1. Chapter 1

"I'm not lying!" yelled Snotlout, "I can do it!"

Tuffnut gestured to the water next to them, "Then quit stalling and get your but in there!"

"Just give me a moment. I need to start when the opportunity comes."

"You mean the opportunity to bail?"

The twins snickered among themselves.

Snotlout crossed his arms, "Swimming toward the sea stacks and back in ocean water is harder than it sounds, Tuffnut."

Ruffnut leaned on her brother's shoulder, "Well if the great Beowulf could swim across the ocean, and take on multiple sea monsters while doing it, I'm sure Snotlout Jorgenson can swim a couple hundred yards to a sea stack."

Snotlout opened his mouth to speak when he was stopped by a horn sounding. Everyone on the docks turned to see a ship with a tribal crest on its sails.

The ship stopped at the dock and a plank was lowered to release its passengers. The first to set foot on the Isle of Berk was a tall man with dark hair and brown eyes. He had a tough build and a few scars on his bare arms.

The man looked at Snotlout smiling, "You look like an athletic lad," The man gave Snotlout a piece of paper and instructed him, "Please deliver this to Stoick the Vast. Ask him to meet me at the docks."

Snotlout shrugged and ran to the Haddock house. When Stoick read the note, he told Snotlout to find Hiccup in the woods and tell her to go to the square.

000

Hiccup and Dramore were walking through the Cove, observing the now-fading scribbles in the dirt.

Hiccup stared at the scribbles before turning to face Draymore, "Remember the first time I put your tail on?"

Draymore sighed, "Yep. You almost fed me an eel before that."

"I didn't mean to."

"Well, at least you went flying into the lagoon in the end."

"That hurt, you know."

"So?"

"Wanna go again?"

There was a brief silence between them.

Draymore shrugged, "Sure."

"Hiccup!"

The siblings turned to face Snotlout as he jogged, panting, into the Cove. He stopped to catch his breath before looking up to Hiccup, "Your dad says you have to go to the square. There's someone there who wants to see you."

Hiccup tilted her head, "Who is it?"

"I don't know. Just some guy who wants to talk with you and Stoick."

Hiccup mounted Draymore after he changed form and flew to Berk.

000

Hiccup found Stoick and the stranger near the blacksmith shop. Stoick was the first to see Hiccup approaching.

"Hiccup, come here," the chieftain gestured to the visitor, "I'd like you to meet Chief Barik the Brave. He's the head of the Wuglat Clan, and the leader of the Daekan Tribe," Stoick then turned to face Barik, "And this is Hiccup Haddock the Third, my daughter, and Heiress to the throne of Berk."

Barik gave a quick bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Haddock,"

Hiccup, unsure of what to do, bowed back, "The pleasure is all mine, Sir."

Barik nodded and faced Stoick, "Now. Should we go somewhere private?"

"Ah, yes," replied Stoick, "Right this way."

Stoick lead Hiccup and Barik to his hut.


	2. Chapter 2

Stoick had Barik take a seat at the end of the table while he took his seat at the opposing end. There were moments of silence as they began to eat before Stoick cleared his throat.

"So, Barik, what brings you to the Isle of Berk?"

Barik nodded toward Hiccup, "I was excited to meet your daughter. It seems as though only a day has passed since she was an infant."

Hiccup smirked as she took her seat at the side.

Barik looked to Stoick, "She has her mother's eyes."

"Indeed she does," nodded Stoick.

"And I've heard that she worked with Gobber?"

"She's been his apprentice for years. But what she's done there is amazing. She's done a wonderful job making and repairing weapons."

"Does she cook?"

"She taught herself."

"Wonderful."

Hiccup was growing confused. Why would anyone be this interested in her? He hadn't mentioned dragons once, so it couldn't have been that.

Barik looked in Hiccup's direction as she drank her water, "She'd make a lovely bride."

Hiccup nearly choked on her water. She quickly set her glass down and swallowed her drink, "I'm sorry. What?"

There was an awkward silence before Stoick cleared his throat, "My apologies, Barik. Through all the things that have happened these past years, I forgot to tell her."

"Tell me what?" Hiccup asked, though she already knew the answer.

"When you were born, Hiccup," explained Stoick, "Barik and I arranged a betrothal between you and his son, Falagrim. The wedding is in two weeks."

Hiccup blinked a few times before regaining her composure. "That's... That's amazing. I can't wait to meet him."

Barik smiled broadly. Stoick suspected Hiccup was lying, but said nothing.

Hiccup forced a smile, "This is wonderful news.'

000

"THIS IS TERRIBLE NEWS!" Hiccup screamed into a boulder she was leaning against. "I've practically been gift-wrapped for them!"

After dinner, Hiccup had gathered her friends into the cove to inform them of her fate.

Jack wasn't on Berk anymore. After the Outcasts became Berk's allies, the Moon decided that Jack no longer needed to protect Hiccup, and was now free to wander the world again.

"Well, betrothal isn't that bad," said Snotlout, "I mean, think about it. You marry a chieftain's son, you get more status, more wealth, more-"

Hiccup turned and glared at Snotlout, "Why haven't you learned that I don't give a shit about any of that?"

"Um.." Draymore raised his hand, "My bad for being the mutton-head here, but what is a betrothal?"

"A betrothal is a marriage arrangement between one man's son, and another man's daughter. The arrangements are made after birth and are carried out after the children come of age," answered Fishlegs, "Once the deed is done, the arrangement can only be cancelled when one of them enters Valhalla, unless the parents and the betrothed agree to seek permission from the gods to cancel it."

"So why can't Hiccup talk with Father?"

Hiccup sighed, "He never listens. Plus the weddings too close to consider backing out. I'm about to give the rest of my life to a man I don't even know."

"Why didn't you just meet him earlier?" asked Tuffnut.

"I never even knew about the betrothal until today."

"Well," said Astro, "Unless anyone does something soon, Hiccup might leave us forever. I'm not seeing many options, Hiccup. You might have to try talking with Stoick."


	3. Chapter3

Hiccup waved back at the crowd as they stood at the edge of the docks. She had boarded Barik's ship, the _Scarlet Fortune_, with her family and friends to travel to Daeka; the voyage would take seven days at the most. One of the women had volunteered to watch Arvid for her until she returned. Stoick had asked for someone to keep an eye on him, because he didn't want Hiccup to get distracted. This was her wedding after all.

Apparently the whole village knew about this betrothal. There was a big crowd on the docks that wanted to see the departure.

After the crowd on the island dispersed, Barik had Hiccup escorted to a suite where she'd be staying. The room was almost as big as the main room in her hut, and there was a queen-sized bed at the opposing side of the room. On the wall to the left was a portrait of who could be Barik's ancestors in the aftermath of their wedding. To the right was the door to the balcony at the the stern of the ship.

Hiccup collapsed on the bed and tried to take everything in. She was about to stand in front of strangers as she said "I do" to someone she'd never even heard of. She never even knew this person existed. What was he like? What did he like? How would he see her? What would he think of her?

Hiccup sat up and looked through the doors to the balcony at Berk. She then began to wonder if she'd ever see her home again. Granted her fiance would have the right to leave the island without supervision after marriage, and could probably help her visit Berk, Hiccup was worried that he wouldn't be willing.

Knocking was heard on the door as Draymore called in, "Hey, Hiccup, the others are gathered at the bow if you need any company."

Hiccup opened the door and smiled, "Company sounds nice."

000

Hiccup followed Draymore through the ship. As she walked by, the members of the crew would pause to greet her, the odd one taking a moment to give a polite bow. When they resumed their work, Hiccup would watch them. She was slightly intrigued with the way the ship functioned, and how efficiently the crew managed it.

The twins had taken a batch of apples from the ship's hold. The group sat in a small circle as they snacked on the stolen goods.

Fishlegs was first to speak once Hiccup had joined the group, "Man, Barik seems really accepting towards dragons. It's almost like he didn't even notice them."

"I know," said Tuffnut, slightly disappointed, "there wasn't a reason to blow anything up. Boring."

Snotlout, "Well, technically that should be a good thing since Hiccup's supposed to marry his-"

Astro elbowed Snotlout's stomach. Snotlout quickly got the message and stopped talking. The group was trying to keep Hiccup's mind off the betrothal to keep her in a positive mood.

"Well," said Astro, "did Snotlout actually finish that swimming exercise he bragged about?"

Ruffnut laughed, "Nope. The ship's arrival was his saving grace."

"Hey!" yelled Snotlout, "I was about to!"

"About to run screaming."

The group began to snicker.

By now, Hiccup had lost interest in the conversation, and was watching Stormfly. Barik had allowed one of the dragons to accompany them on the journey, so Stormfly was sitting on the main deck, curiously watching the crew.

"Hey, Hiccup!"

Hiccup turned to face Astro, who pointed beyond the ship's port (left side facing the bow).

"Keep watching the water."

The group stared at the saltwater for a moment. Eventually, a large fish shot out of the water, performing a series of flips before diving back into the water.

The teens all stared at the water in awe.

Hiccup leaned over the rails, "No way!"

Snotlout looked to Hiccup, "What kind of a fish do you think that is?"

"That's not a fish, that's a dolphin!"

"What do you mean? That is a fish. It has fins and it swims."

"It looks a lot like a fish, but it's not. It can't breathe under water so it has to resurface every few minutes."

Fishlegs pointed at another dolphin as it arched over a wave, "Think that's what that hole on their backs are for?"

"I don't know. But I do know that they're known for being playful."

One of the crew members tapped on Hiccup's shoulder, "Uh, Miss, the chief requests that you and your brother have dinner with him below deck."

"Oh," Hiccup nodded, "Thanks."

"Right this way, Miss."


	4. Chapter4

Hiccup and Draymore sat opposing each other as they ate. Barik had the cooks prepare chicken and bread for their meal. Lanterns hung from the roof to give them light. Apart from a few servants standing by the door, they were alone.

"I apologize for Falagrims absence, Hiccup," said Barik.

Hiccup side-glanced to Barik, "Where is he?"

"I've asked him to stay back in Daeka so my brother can further train him in chiefly duties. But don't worry, there will be plenty of time to get to know each other before the wedding. Also, before the wedding, you and Falagrim will go through cleansing rituals."

"Why?"

"It's been a tradition in our tribe as a symbol of offering the best you have to your spouse. As well as cleansing, there will be three feasts to celebrate your betrothal. twice before, and once after. During the first feast, the bride and groom will exchanged gifts along with their ancestral swords. In the second feast, they will perform a traditional dance that has been done throughout the family. And, during the final feast, wine and mead will be served in the great hall. There will be dancing, and competitions. After the third feast, the bride and groom will be escorted to their hut where they will spend their first night as man and wife."

Stoick gestured to the servants, "We will also assign chaperones to accompany you in these events, to ensure your safety."

Hiccup looked to Stoick, "Safety?"

"Weddings have been known targets for assassinations. But don't worry. You will be safe."

"Will I still be able to see her?" asked Draymore.

"There is plenty of time for family and friends to visit, Draymore," explained Barik, "Nothing to worry about. Weddings within the chieftains's family are joyous occasions that are to be shared with all those we cherish." Barik waved to one of the servants," Could you show Hiccup and Draymore to their chambers? Me and Stoick wish to speak in private."

000

Hiccup leaned against the rails of her balcony as she stared at the horizon. Again, the reality of her situation was beginning to sink in. She was scared and confused. She didn't know what to expect from this. She was afraid of what would happen to her after she married Falagrim. She was afraid that she wouldn't like her new home. She was very afraid that she'd never see Astro.

Hiccup began to miss Berk. She missed hearing the Terrible Terrors singing on the rooftops when she woke up. She missed the smell of the forge when she worked in the blacksmith shop. She missed everything.

Hiccup began to remember when she was a small child. Stoick would take her up the mountain to show her the best views of Berk. There, he'd tell her stories and give life lessons.

"Hey." Draymore joined Hiccup and leaned on the railing, "Need company?"

Hiccup nodded.

"So... you seem to be taking this seriously. You really happy about this betrothal?"

Hiccup sighed, "No. I'm not. But, I don't want to upset Dad."

"Aren't you gonna try talking to him?"

"Well... No."

"Why?"

"When I was younger, he'd tell me about his job. He'd explain how a chief has to learn to be flexible with his time and resources, how a chief would have to learn to... put others above himself. Whether you like the options or not, you have to choose what's best for your people. A chief's job is heavily envied and glorified, but in reality, it sucks, and you often wish you never had it. But, over time, you get used to it."

"And you were next in line?"

"Yeah. Someone's gotta do it. If not me, Snotlout would have to take it. And there's no way I'd trust him with that role."

"Have you ever thought of what you'll do when you're chief?"

Hiccup fumbled with her hands for a moment, "I haven't really thought about that."

"Well, what would you do?"

"Well... I guess I'd... I... I don't know. I don't even think I'll ever be ready. But it's not like that matters anymore. Falagrim's the heir to the throne of his village. I guess he'll take that role from me."

"Would that leave me with the role?"

"Most likely."

"Oh... Well that's gonna be a problem, since I don't really know anything about human culture." Draymore laughed nervously.

"Man, Berk's not in a good place right now. I think... if Berk's gonna have a good chance, we might have to unite the tribes... I don't know. Maybe not."

"Maybe Dad and Barik will figure it out another way."

"Hopefully... I'm starting to think twice about recanting the arrangement."

"What would you tell Dad?"

"Well... for starters, I could explain that marrying Falagrim would leave you as the heir, and that you're nowhere near ready for the role. I don't know what else I could say."

"I just hope we find a way to get out of this... without hurting anyone."

Hiccup looked up at the stars, "I hope we can do this without angering the gods. Odin willing we'll do this peacefully."


	5. Chapter5

The voyage seemed slow and uneventful; but the teenagers passed the time the best they could by helping the crew, reading books in Hiccup's suite, playing fetch with Stormfly, and participating in other activities. Stoick and Barik kept asking to speak privately about something. Neither of them ever explained what they were talking about. As the time passed, Hiccup grew more anxious. Her friends did the best they could to distract her, but at the end of the day, Hiccup still worried.

000

On the seventh morning, Hiccup was pulled from sleep by a loud horn.

"Good morning, Miss." a woman greeted.

Hiccup looked to the woman in confusion as she rubbed her eyes, "What's going on? What are you doing here?"

The woman pulled the blankets off, "We're at Daeka. We reach the docks in forty minutes. Barik wants us to get you ready." The woman was accompanied by two more women as they pulled Hiccup to her feet.

"Why?" asked Hiccup, "What are you doing?"

The first woman held a red dress in front of Hiccup, "Today is the day you meet your fiance. It's a big day for a lucky girl like you. Isn't that exciting?"

Hiccup stared at the dress. It was a beautiful dress. It had gold thread pattern over silver fabric at the end of the sleeves and skirt. It had a silver sash tied around the waist. The sleeves grew loose from the arms after it reached the elbow. The dress had a broad neckline that exposed the shoulders.

Hiccup instinctively held her hands over her shoulders, "Um... I'm not a dress person, I don't feel comfortable in them."

"Don't worry, Miss," the woman soothed, "I'm sure you'll look lovely."

The three women helped Hiccup into the red dress. They also fixed her hair into a loose braid. Hiccup was then given a pair of white slippers to wear. Finally, Hiccup was given a necklace with a ruby pendant.

"I don't know about this," objected Hiccup as she observed her appearance in the mirror, "Don't you think this is taking it too far?"

"It's been a tradition for three hundred years," explained the first woman, "The first bride to wear this dress was the wife of the first chieftain to Daeka. Don't worry, Hiccup. You look gorgeous. Now, come with me. We can't keep your fiance waiting on the docks."

000

The crew was amazed when they saw Hiccup. When she stepped outside, all eyes were on her. Hiccup smiled politely, though it made her uncomfortable. Quickly the crew resumed their work, and Hiccup sighed with relief. The women eventually left Hiccup with her friends.

"Woah, Hiccup!" exclaimed Tuffnut, "Pure bride material right there! Ruffnut's jealous!"

"Not I'm not!" said Ruffnut.

Snotlout pointed to Hiccup, "If she's gonna go parading through Daeka looking like that, then Falagrim better have himself decorated. My gods!"

Hiccup folded her arms in front of her, "If it's too much for you, I can go back inside-"

"NO!" the boys shouted.

"...Okay."

Astro scanned the docks as people began to gather there, "What do you think this Falagrim will look like?"

"I don't know," Hiccup sighed, "I'm not asking for some god, but I'm praying that he's at least a decent guy to look at... maybe not the best way to say that."

Snotlout chuckled softly, "Hes probably one of the boys at the end of the dock. Someone's gonna be jealous."

"That's really not helping, Snotlout." said Hiccup.

When the _Scarlet Fortune_ stopped, two crew members lowered the plank and helped Hiccup on the docks. Like Snotlout had earlier mentioned, many teenage boys had pushed their way to the front of the crowed to see the bride. A few girls had done the same. And, like a few boys, they stared at her with envy.

Hiccup looked back to the ship as Stoick and Barik left the ship. Barik was approached by a young boy with black hair. The boy wore a fancy red tunic with a gold pattern covering it.

"Hello, father!" the boy exclaimed, "How was the voyage?"

"It was wonderful, Falagrim. Your uncle give you any trouble?"

Falagrim chuckled, "No, not too much."

Barik rested a hand on Falagrim's shoulder and gestured to Hiccup. When Falagrim saw her, he smiled sweetly. Hiccup smiled back to be polite.

The crowd of people grew still as the two slowly approached each other. Falagrim's hair reached down to his shoulders. He had slightly darkened skin, like his father. upon closer observation, Hiccup could see Falagrims brown eyes, and a pale mark that was barely visible above his right eye.

"Alright, everyone," said Barik, "let's not make them nervous. The first feast is tonight. For now, let's leave them to speak."

Quickly, life resumed around Hiccup, and the people returned to the village, leaving her with Falagrim. Even Astro and the others were asked to leave.

"So," said Falagrim, trying to break the awkward silence, "How was the voyage?"

"Uh, it was good."

Falagrim looked right and pointed, "Uh, is that a dragon on the ship?"

Hiccup looked to the ship as Stormfly patrolled the deck, possibly looking for Astro, "Yes. Her name is Stormfly. Your dad let her come along."

"Oh... Is she yours?"

"No, she's Astro's."

"Oh. Okay." Falagrim seemed relieved by Hiccup's answer.

Hiccup quickly changed the subject, "Well, so far the food has been interesting. I mean, it's been prepared differently from the food we have back on Berk."

"Well," said Falagrim, "if you'd like, I can take you to the market. We have lots of food there."

Hiccup shrugged and nodded, "Yeah. Sure."


	6. Chapter 6

"Sorry that I couldn't come with my father to your village," said Falagrim as he lead Hiccup through the village market, "I wish I would've been there to see it. I heard that you and your brother saved your village from a dragon. Is that right?"

Hiccup nodded.

"Is that what those two scars on your back are from?"

"Uh... no. As far as I know, I've had those my whole life."

"And, your brother... he seems a little too curious about our culture. I understand that our lifestyle is different from yours, but they're still similar in many ways."

"He was lost in the wild for a good majority of his life. I found him in the woods. It took some time, but we eventually grew to trust each other."

Falagrim paused to take in Hiccup's answer.

"So," said Hiccup, "What is it that you do differently here?"

Falagrim's eyes lit up at the question, "Well, for starters, we don't train people to fight dragons. My family has learned to let them be, and in return, they leave us in peace. They rarely steal from us."

Hiccup smiled slightly.

"Also, we really love music. There have been numerous times when someone will start a dance in the square."

"How often?"

"I'd say at least twice a week."

"In the last few years, my father has purchased a few foreign foods, to experiment with the soil. We quickly learned that growing different foods in the same soil prevents it from being damaged. For example, you could grow wheat in one year, and then grow some vegetables like carrots the next year. There's more than enough food to go around."

"Where'd you get this idea?"

Falagrim pointed toward the sea, "Somewhere out there, many different nations are trading their goods to get material they can't get in their homes," he took an apple from one of the stands, leaving a few coins on the counter, "For example, these apples were taken here from Norway."

Falagrim gave Hiccup the apple and continued through the market toward the square. They passed the last stand when Falagrim faced Hiccup, "So what else do you want to know?"

Hiccup looked around and found the blacksmith shop, "What kind of things do you make?"

"Weapons?"

"Anything. Tools, machines, anything."

"Well, recently we started using a water mill to grind our grain."

"Water mill?"

"Yeah. It's a wheel in a stream that revolves when water pushes against it. With enough pressure, it can do multiple things, like cutting wood or making textiles. But we haven't gotten that far yet. For now it just processes grain."

"Could I see it?"

"Sure. Follow m-"

"Falagrim!" Hiccup and Falagrim turned to a man as he approached them, "Your father wants you and Hiccup to meet him in Ragni an hour before the first feast."

Hiccup tilted her head, "Ragni?"

"Ragni is the village hall," explained Falagrim, "And this is my uncle, Mordin. He's my mentor."

Mordin forced a polite smile as he bowed, "A pleasure to meet you, Hiccup."

"Uh, thanks."

.

Mordin returned to his normal self-or what seemed like his normal self-and walked away.

"So," said Falagrim, "That's my uncle for you."

Hiccup stared at the ground.

"Hey, don't worry. You'll get used to his edgy side. He's not so bad."

Falagrim took Hiccup's hand and continued the tour..


	7. Chapter 7

Hiccup and Falagrim sat on two thrones at the back of the room. Hiccup sat right to Falagrim. Hiccup was surprised that they had a whole table to themselves. The top of the table was covered in different rich foods. A small space was made for her plate and mug. Both were given special wine to drink.

The tables neighboring theirs were reserved for immediate family. The farther ones were for close friends.

The other tables weren't given the same special treatment, but they were still crammed with food and alcohol. The teens and older children had their own tables with less fancy food and milk to drink instead of mead. The tables were lined up along the walls of Ragni, leaving the middle open for dances and plays. The space was currently occupied by the small children as they played tag.

Falagrim leaned toward his family's table, talking with his father. Falagrim's family consisted of his father, his mother, and his two sisters. The older sister having brown hair instead of black, like her mother. The three girls laughed among themselves while momentarily gesturing to Hiccup.

Stoick leaned toward Hiccup, "So what do you think of the place?"

Hiccup leaned toward Stoick to better hear him, "Well, it seems a lot like Berk. Except they have a machine that grinds grain for them. And the food's different."

"And the dancing?

"They do that a lot."

"Have you tried it yet?"

"No. Not a dancer."

"Well, you should try it sometime. Your mother and I used to visit this place, and their dances are very lively."

"So I've heard."

"Hiccup, I understand that you're worried. I should have told you about this earlier."

"It's okay."

"Are you sure that-"

"Alright," exclaimed Barik, "Let us begin the feast!"

The room grew silent as Falagrim and Hiccup stood up. Falagrim turned to face his father. Barik gave Falagrim the family's ancestral sword, the _Soul Protector_, which Falagrim then gave to Hiccup. Hiccup received her family's sword, the _Stormblade_, and handed it over to Falagrim.

The swords were being exchanged as a sign of commitment. Hiccup would keep Falagrim's sword to give to her future sons, and Falagrim took the sword to symbolize that he would be taking Stoick's role as Hiccup's protector.

Once the swords were exchanged, the people began to eat. Hiccup and Falagrim took their seats and continued to speak with their families.

0000

After the feast, Hiccup and Falagrim were taken to two separate rooms. Both were about to go through the cleansing ritual.

Hiccup was greeted by multiple women who had filled a wooden tub with warm water. Throughout the ritual, the women would clean Hiccup using sweet-smelling soap. Every now and then, a hot stone would be dropped into the water to keep it warm. Once they'd finished washing Hiccup, they pulled her out of the warm tub and had hersubmerge herself in another tub. The water was freezing, and it took all Hiccup's willpower not to jump out. Finally, the ritual ended and Hiccup was given a nightgown, along with the red dress to wear the following morning.

"I don't understand," said Hiccup, "Where's my other clothing?"

"They've been burned," replied one of the women.

Hiccup stared at the woman, wide-eyed, "Why?"

"We burn the bride's clothes to symbolize the end of her past life. It's tradition in many tribes throughout the archipelago."

Hiccup looked down at her nightgown, silently begging the gods that she wouldn't have to wear dresses the rest of her life.

The woman pointed to three girls, "Alright, you girls take her to her suite. She needs rest."

000

Hiccup's room wasn't very different from the one on the _Scarlet Fortune_. The bed had many fur blankets on it, and the frame reached above the mattress, holding red curtains around the perimeter of the bed.

_They really like the color red_, Hiccup thought to herself.

Next to the bed was a desk with multiple beauty supplies. They even had a mirror on it. Next to the desk was a wardrobe that held dresses of various colors.

On the opposing wall, there was a portrait of a man and woman. The man had dark skin and brown eyes. His black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The woman had a light brown shade of hair that acted as a veil for her shoulders. She had bright brown eyes and bright skin. As Hiccup had thought, they both wore the color red. In fact, Hiccup was wearing the same dress as the woman. Falagrim wore the man's suit. Only the man and woman wore fur capes. They seemed to be standing on the deck of a simple fisherman's boat.

Hiccup pointed toward the portrait, "Who are those two?"

One of the girls stayed behind to explained, "They're the ones who created the Daekan tribe. The man is Latham, and his wife is Eydis."

"Why do they wear red?"

"It's like those tales you'd tell a child. A rich girl falls for a poor fisherman, runs away to marry him, sales off to an island to start their new life. They lived happily. They died peacefully, and their sons continued to raise the island's population to this day. The clothes they're wearing in the portrait, that's what they wore when they sailed to find someone to marry them."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Alright!" said the girl, "I'd better go. Goodnight, Miss!"

"Night," said Hiccup.

The girl closed the door, unknowingly exposing a piece of paper nailed to it. Hiccup took the note and read it.

" Keep silent, let no one know until the time is right. Enter the halls and look left. Time it carefully."

Hiccup read the note multiple times. She couldn't understand what it meant. She quickly hid the note in her desk and climbed onto the bed.

Thankfully the cold water helped her get some sleep. She had been needing it this past week.


	8. Chapter 8

Once again, Barik assigned a girl to be Hiccup's personal maid. The girl's first task was to help Hiccup into her dress and to fix her hair. Again, Hiccup had to wear the red dress. Today, most of Hiccups hair was left loose, while the sides were pulled back in a fishtail braid.

Today, Hiccup and Falagrim would be spectating the monthly duel between two champion swordsmen. Like the feast, this was a very public event. And, of course, Barik and Stoick wanted their betrothed looking their best.

Just before the duel, Hiccup met Astro and the others at the square. Astro was buying snacks for the group so they wouldn't get hungry half way through the match.

"So," said Snotlout, "Does this Wuglat Clan have an obsession with the color red, or am I just thinking too hard?"

Hiccup shrugged, "I'd say you're thinking too hard, considering the tradition and history of the color in the family. But at the same time with all the red I'm seeing, I could bleed to death and not even notice the blood."

The twins laughed.

"So?" asked Fishlegs, "How is Falagrim? He a likable guy?"

Hiccup shrugged, "He's okay. He's not arrogant like Snotlout."

Snotlout folded his arms across his chest, "Hey!"

"And he's very open-minded about trade. He could talk about foreign products for hours, and he wants to find something here that he could use in the trade. But... he doesn't at all seem interested in Berk's current lifestyle or anything like that. I mean, he tolerates dragons, but he seems more comfortable away from them."

"Alright, Hiccup," said Tuffnut, "That, right there, is not bride material."

Everyone stared at Tuffnut in confusion.

Tuffnut walked away from the group, "Come along, Hiccup. I'll help you to get in touch with your fiance."

Hiccup awkwardly followed Tuffnut, "I don't see how a pep talk is gonna help me in this situation right now."

"Shh. Quiet. let me explain. I've been trained in the art of officiating."

"I thought you didn't-"

"Quiet, Hiccup. Let me finish. Now. You are worried that he doesn't like the same things that you like. Correct?"

"Well..."

"Just let me ask you this. How many times yesterday have you ever asked him what his exact thoughts about dragons was?"

Hiccup paused.

"Well? How many?"

"None."

"Exactly. How can you be sure about something if you haven't even done anything to back up your belief? You can't just assume something about Falagrim, Hiccup. You need to ask him, talk with him, really get to know him. Ask him the right questions."

Hiccup stared at Tuffnut, wide-eyed, "My gods, Tuff."

"I know. No need to thank me."

"That's probably the last time I'll trust you with relationship advice though."

Tuffnut nodded, "And a wise decision at that."

People suddenly became excited and began to quicken their pace, heading for the field. The duel was about to begin.

000

Hiccup and Falagrim were once again seated on thrones in a viewing platform under the trees. There were wooden benches lined up around the arena to let spectators watch comfortably.

Hiccup did nothing but watch the duel for a few minutes before she considered Tuffnut's advice. She looked toward Falagrim a few times before eventually gathering the courage to ask him.

"Hey, Falagrim?"

Falagrim looked to Hiccup.

Hiccup inhaled deeply, trying to find the words, "What do you think about... about dragons?"

Falagrim thought for a second, "They're passive creatures. Pretty friendly on a good day."

Hiccup shook her head, "No. I mean, do you like them?"

Falagrim sighed, "Honestly?... Honestly I don't think I appreciate them that much. I can tolerate them on the island, but... I don't like them."

Hiccup paused, "Oh."

Falagrim took Hiccup's hand into his, "But that doesn't mean you can''t like them. That's your decision. Alright?"

"... Okay."

Falagrim smiled before focusing on the duel.

Hiccup looked back to the spectators to look for Draymore. She was beginning to feel lonely. Even the few spectators to occasionally pointed to her and Falagrim, talking about them, even they didn't help her. Right now, Hiccup wanted to be up in the sky again. She wanted to hide in the clouds until the day ended. But she felt stuck.

Hiccup began to tell herself to move on. Her old life was gone. Now it was time to get used to the new one. She knew she had to believe it, yet, she didn't want to. It just didn't feel right. It just didn't.


	9. Chapter 9

During the second feast, Hiccup and Falagrim performed the dance with other married couples. They all danced in a repeating pattern around the center of the hall, while switching partners until the song ended. As much as Hiccup greatly disliked the reminder it gave her, she did enjoy the dance on its own.

The following day, Hiccup and Falagrim further observed the village's daily lifestyle. Hiccup quickly learned to enjoy the endless activity there. Falagrim also took Hiccup into the woods where they explored the different paths and caves.

For just a moment, Hiccup forgot that she would possibly spend the rest of her life here, and felt more like she was on some trip.

000

That night, Hiccup and Falagrim were permitted to part ways for the night to celebrate their last night unmarried with their friends. Hiccup and her friends gathered in the woods and made a small fire in a clearing. Everyone sat around it and began to talk about their adventures in Daeka and their thoughts on the village's habits.

Overall, Daeka was a great place. The people were very friendly, and there wasn't a moment when something wasn't happening. They were even tolerant of the animals that lived there.

Midnight was now approaching, and it was time for them to go to sleep. Everyone wished Hiccup good night and good luck. Astro stayed behind. When they were alone, Hiccup and Astro sat down next to each other in front of the fire.

"So," said Astro, "this is it."

Hiccup stared blankly into the fire, "Yeah. I guess... it is."

"It's almost like... just yesterday we were flying with Draymore... for the first time."

"You beat the shit out of me that day."

Both laughed softly.

"Yeah. It was funny though."

Hiccup nudged Astro's shoulder, "You really need to fix that aggressive gesture you keep calling 'communication'."

"It's never gonna stop, Hic."

A brief silence covered them.

"Hey, Hiccup?"

"Yeah Astro?"

Astro stood up and paced around the fire, fumbling with his hands, "I know the timing is at its worst right now, but... I've got nothing to lose so..." Astro turned to Hiccup, taking her hand, "I love you, Hiccup. Ever since our first flight, I've loved you."

There was a brief silence. then Astro released Hiccup's hand and paced around the fire again, "I do admit that I am very... extremely jealous right now... Fuck it, I'm terrified right now. I'm terrified for you. I mean, it seems like one moment, you and I are having a blast, laughing about the twins' amusing stupidity, and the next, you're going to be marrying some guy that you've never even heard of. And, if you want me to be honest, I hate it. I hate what Stoick's done for you. I hate this betrothal, I hate that you're not standing up for yourself, heck, I hate that I can't even talk to you anymore. I'm probably never even going to see you again."

Hiccup walked up to Astro and hugged him. Astro hugged her back.

"I understand, Astro. I feel the same way." Hiccup pulled away to look at Astro, "And I want to say no to this. But the thing is, I just can't. I wish we could just do something simple like sing a song or recite a poem and it all be undone, but it's not like that. We have to accept the way things are. Even though we'll be miles apart, separated by an arranged marriage, I'll still love you. I'll always love you. I promise."

Astro wiped away a tear before hugging Hiccup once more, "Thank you, Hiccup."

Hiccup's ear suddenly twitched as she heard something moving nearby. At first she thought it was an animal walking by, but as she walked back to her hut, she began to remember the noise. It was too soft to be a deer, yet too loud to be a rabbit. It definitely wasn't Snotlout or the twins. It was too quiet. Fishlegs wasn't one to spy on people. But the noise was most likely cause by human movement.

000

**Okay so this is random, and I've never done this before, but as I was writing this chapter, I kept imagining Astro and Hiccup singing the "Rewrite the Stars" song from the "Greatest Showman" movie. It just seems to fit very well with how these characters are feeling..**

**I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Have a nice day.**


	10. Chapter 10

Hiccup stood in front of the mirror, watching as the girls made final adjustments on her attire. Her dress was mainly white, well, more a light grey. And, as one would guess, it had red details. The end of her sleeves were lined with white fur. The neckline of the dress exposed her shoulders, and was also lined with white fur, however the fur reached over her shoulders and down her back into a cape. Hiccup's hair was mostly loose, though some of her hair was braided and reached over her shoulders. Again, a small portion of her hair worked as a braided crown. Hiccup's headdress was made from mountain-avens flowers and bright green leaves.

Hiccup saw Stoick's reflection smiling, "You look beautiful."

Hiccup nodded in response.

There was a brief pause before Stoick inhaled deeply, "Look, Hiccup, I understand that this is all so... sudden. I won't judge you if you're unsure of this arrangement. But, please be honest. Do you really want this, Hiccup?"

Hiccup stared at Stoick, uneasy, "It's... It's not... what I _want_... I don't know if I'll ever want it... But, if it's what Berk _needs_... I'll do it."

Stoick smiled slightly, "You've grown so much, Hiccup; and I'm really proud of you."

One of the maids opened the door excitedly, "It's time! He's waiting for you!"

It all happened quickly. Hiccup was dazed as Stoick walked with her to the village square. They had draped every building and every post with flowers and ribbons. They had even built an arch where Falagrim was waiting. Stoick nudged Hiccup's shoulder as he walked her through the pathway the crowed parted into. She corrected herself and smiled at Falagrim.

When Hiccup stopped and turned around, everyone was silent. All was still. All eyes were on her and Falagrim.

Hiccup turned to face Falagrim and held his hands. The village officiator wrapped a sacred banner around their hands and placed his hand over it; he then raised his other hand above his head and recited a prayer.

"Today, we gather here to call upon the goddess, Freya, to bless this couple; we pray that you are honored as Falagrim Wuglat, child of Odin, and Hiccup Haddock the Third, child of Freya, unite as man and wife. We will recognize and remember that by utterence of these words, this bond can only broken in the Halls-"

Just like that, time seemed to freeze. Hiccup realized what that word meant. He's talking about the Halls of Valhalla. She had read about this moment before. The note, the very note that was left for her in her hut, was a warning! She thought back to that night and tried to remember what the note said.

"Enter the halls and look left."

Hiccup was standing to the left of the officiator. Falagrim was standing to his right. Hiccup heard something, but wasn't able to realize what the sound meant. She instinctively reached her left hand out and grabbed at whatever she suspected was coming toward her... or rather, Falagrim.

The officiator stopped praying before he could finish. Everyone gasped at what Hiccup was holding. Hiccup looked at her hand, her eyes focused on Changewing acid, dripping from the point of an arrow. The arrow's point was inches away from Falagrim's neck.

Hiccup slowly traced an imaginary line from the arrow's destination to it's origin. She quickly found one of the village guards with a bow in his hand. He was staring at her, and very angry.

One of the men in the crowd called out "ASSASSINS!" and chaos took over. People ran in all directions. Several ran toward the betrothed, likely more of the assassins. Hiccup took Falagrim's hand and practically dragged him with her as they fled. Stormfly landed between them and the assassins to buy them time.

"Where are you going?!" Falagrim called to Hiccup, "There could be more assassins anywhere in the village waiting for us!"

"That's why we're leaving!"

"How?"

"DRAYMORE!"

Draymore caught up with Hiccup and Falagrim, quickly overtaking them. He quickly bounded on all-fours and grew into dragon form.

Hiccup mounted the black dragon and reached out to Falagrim, "Get on!"

Falagrim's pace slowed down, "Your brother just-"

Hiccup grabbed Falagrim's hand and pulled him onto Draymore's back as Draymore took off. They were quickly out of sight.

0000

"Where are Falagrim and Hiccup?" asked Barik.

The traitors apprehended and were being gathered into the prison. Everyone had survived the attack, though a few were injured in the fight.

No one knew where Hiccup and Falagrim were. Stoick quickly noticed Draymore's absence as well. They began searching for the three, praying that they weren't killed.

Stoick questioned one of the criminals. The man glared at Stoick as he answered, "That girl you wanted to marry our heir to, she's not fit for this place. The fact that she called upon a shape-shifter to escape proves my point."

Barik turned to face the man, "Shape-shifter?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. A scrawny boy ran up to her and mutated into a black dragon, a Night Fury to make things worse. She used that demon to kidnap Falagrim. We were trying to protect him, I swear!"

Stoick folded his arms, "I find that hard to believe."

"And why is that, Stoick?"

"Hiccup caught the arrow before it hit Falagrim. That's a pretty broad space for an error to occur. Nothing happened before hand to make you flinch."

"That doesn't change the fact that she called upon a shape-shifter."

"That 'shape-shifter' is my son."

The man was escorted away with the other prisoners.

Barik stared at Stoick, "Your son can shape-shift?"

Stoick sighed, "Yes. However, he can only change into one dragon. That's it. He's a Lighren."

"... Your children are twins?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean Hiccup is a Lighren as well?"

"It does. But that doesn't mean that the man's claims are true. They aren't demons. They're not using any form of witchcraft. They're just... different from us. You remember, right?"

Barik was silent for a moment. Then he chuckled, "Yes. They're very stubborn. I just hope that Falagrim can see passed those scales."


	11. Chapter 11

Draymore landed in the middle of a forest, baren and foggy. The island almost looked dead, but it was closer than any other island. Just as he landed, Falagrim jumped off his back and crawled away.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" he yelled as Hiccup tried to follow him, "I am NOT going anywhere near that... that... THING!"

Draymore changed to human. Unfortunately, it only made matters worse for Falagrim.

"He's-He just changed! How does he-"

"Calm down, Falagrim. He won't hurt you."

"DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! How can I calm down when I was almost killed at my own wedding? Better yet, how the hell am I supposed to stay calm when I've just watch your brother turn into a FUCKING DRAGON?!"

Hiccup turned to face Draymore, trying to ignore Falagrim, "You didn't happen to grab a couple sets of clothing did you?"

Draymore shrugged, "No. The horde of angry murderers kind of distracted me."

"Shit. Well then, I guess I'm stuck in this..." She looked down at her dress, the hem of the skirt now dirty from the fight.

"How can you worry about what you're wearing when we're being hunted?" asked Falagrim, still panicking.

"You're one to talk! You're freaking out over us just because we have scales and wings!"

Falagrim stared at Hiccup, wide-eyed, "You have-You too?"

"... Did I say 'we?'"

Falagrim chuckled, still visibly terrified, "Great! My life just keeps getting better. First, I'm almost killed, I'm kidnapped, I'm being hunted, and to top it all off, I almost got married to a DRAGON!"

"Well if it makes you feel better, I wasn't exactly happy about the arrangement myself."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SPEAK UP ABOUT IT?!"

"You try saying you don't wanna marry someone when you're expected to do so in two weeks of learning about it!"

Draymore raised his hand, "Can I just say something?"

"NO!" yelled Falagrim.

"What is it, buddy?" asked Hiccup.

Draymore pointed beyond Hiccup and Falagrim, "There's a cave over there. We could set up camp in there and... see what we can find for food."

Hiccup nodded, "I'll get firewood."

Falagrim quickly backed away from them, "I'll go see what we can use for... food!"

0000

Falagrim sat leaning against one of the cave walls. Hiccup and Draymore sat on the other side of the fire.

Falagrim couldn't find any animals to kill, but he was able to find a shipwreck. The ship was found in the strangest of places, impaled on a tree. He boarded the ship carefully and salvaged anything he could carry. He was able to find a portable basket and returned to the camp with some fabric textiles, worn clothing, and old tools. He also found a rusty sword that could be used for hunting.

Hiccup and Falagrim had changed into the worn clothing. Both didn't want to be responsible for any damage to the traditional clothing. Falagrim was dressed in a large black shirt and brown trousers. Hiccup was wearing a smaller, red shirt with a torn, leather vest and green trousers. The shirt wasn't as red as the dress she'd been wearing for the passed few days, it was slightly brighter.

Draymore was in dragon form, sleeping peacefully. Hiccup sat leaning against him as she worked on a strand of old leather.

Falagrim looked at Hiccup with slight interest, "What are you making?"

"I'm trying to make a belt," Hiccup answered, not looking away from her work, "If I added some hooking mechanisms to it, it could hold the tools and make it easier to work on the go."

"So you're wanting to make some tool-holding belt?"

"I was planning on calling it a 'tool belt', actually."

"Oh."

"So, are you planning on going back to that ship? Because if you didn't, I could go for you."

Falagrim inhaled deeply, "Well, since you have the whole... flying thing... I guess that would make more sense."

Hiccup stopped working on the belt, "Look, Falagrim, I understand if you're mad about me not telling you about us, and I'm sorry for not telling you."

"Every time I look at him I think of my cousin."

Hiccup glanced at Draymore for a moment before looking back at Falagrim, "Why?"

Falagrim's eyes began welling up with tears, "My cousin and eye were in the woods when I was younger. We were fighting with sticks, pretending they were swords. And then these... dragons... they just jumped out at us. My cousin told me to run and... I did. I didn't even look back. I didn't know that he stayed behind to buy me time. I never saw him again. When the adults went looking for him, they found him. But they wouldn't let me see his body. I couldn't even thank him for helping me."

Hiccup waited a while before she sat next to Falagrim and comforted him. He cried himself to sleep that night. Hiccup stood by the cave entrance for a few hours before she went to sleep.


	12. Chapter12

Hiccup was cautious when she landed on the ship. The ship didn't look like it had been here very long. It seemed as though the ship had been left here recently. How it got here was another story completely.

Hiccup wasn't able to find anything on the deck, but she found a large stock below. There was even a barrel of food that wasn't even old. At least, it didn't look that way. Hiccup continued further a found a smaller chest with a tribal crest-Berk's tribal crest; to make things weirder, her initials were carved onto the lid.

"Interesting..."

Hiccup began searching the ship for the keys. As she searched though the crates and bags, she quickly realized who owned this ship. This ship belonged to Johann.

"What happened? Where is he?"

The silence was pushed away by a loud hissing noise. Hiccup couldn't tell where it was coming from because it seemed to be in her head. The hissing was followed by a white cloud of fog that began to fill the ship. Hiccup quickly pulled a hammer out of a nearby crate and prepared to fight.

Something pulled at Hiccup's necklace from behind. Hiccup lost balance and fell on her back. The attacker continued to pull on the necklace, dragging Hiccup out of the ship. Hiccup grabbed at the necklace in attempt to remove it. She felt around the chain but she couldn't find the secure link. Hiccup tried clawing at her attacker, but she couldn't reach him; it didn't even seem like her attacker was human. No matter where she reached, she couldn't find the stranger.

The ship disappeared from under Hiccup's feet. Within moments she was hanging twelve feet above the ground. Thankfully her weight forced the strange creature downward. She was on the ground within seconds.

Hiccup was growing desperate. Her vision was getting blurry and she could taste something sour rising in her throat. Hiccup's body grew numb, everything went dark

The next thing Hiccup saw was a wall of metal. Anything made of metal was in this wall; Pots, weapons, tools, chains. There was little effort put into building this wall. It looked like it was carelessly molded together with fire.

Hiccup realized that she was sitting against the wall and tried to stand up. When she tried to stand, her necklace tightened around her neck. Whatever attacked her had melted the chain into the wall. To make things worse, Hiccup still couldn't find the secure piece. It must have been melted with the metal wall.

Hiccup pressed her body against the wall when she heard a growling noise. She saw a small flock of dragons gathering around a hole in the wall. The crawled into the hole one by one. They could be heard as they ventured around the other side.

Hiccup's ears drooped when she realized where she was. This wasn't a wall, it was a nest-a dragon nest. She was trapped in a dragon's territory.


	13. Chapter 13

Stoick, Astro, and the other riders asked around the village for any nearby islands where Falagrim and Hiccup could be hiding. Every island they'd found were searched twice. But there was no sign of Falagrim, Hiccup, or Draymore. By now, Stoick was frustrated, and growing increasingly worried for Hiccup and Draymore.

The group of Berkian teenagers were gathered on the docks around a map on a post, trying to find a new island to search.

"Why hasn't Hiccup and Draymore come back yet?" asked an impatient Snotlout, "The assassins are gone!"

"Say hello to Hiccup Haddock the Third, Snotlout," announced Tuffnut, "She doesn't like to cause collateral damage. She's probably waiting it out on some far-away island. It's an unusual way to start a honeymoon, but alas, they should be able to build a nice hut to start their family, maybe a village."

Fishlegs sighed, "They're not married yet, Tuffnut. The officiator didn't finish praying, so the arrangement isn't even complete."

The teenagers stopped talking when a scouting ship returned and two men passed them. The men were carrying a stretcher with an unconscious man laying on it.

"Hey," said Tuffnut, staring at the incapacitated man, "isn't that Johann on the stretcher?"

Everyone stopped observing the map and chased after the men. Johann was in fact the injured man on the stretcher. He was taken to the village infirmary and placed on one of the beds.

000

The silence in the infirmary was eventually interrupted when Johann suddenly jolted to a sitting position, "FOG! THE FOG!"

Astro knelled next to the bed and placed a hand on Johann's shoulder, 'Johann, it's okay. You're safe now."

Johann sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Where am I?"

"You're at Daeka. You were found holding on to some wooden boards in the ocean. What happened to your ship?"

"I don't know. One moment, I'm sailing through the foggy sea, accompanied only by the lapping waves and whispers of the air... THE NEXT MOMENT MY SHIP IS RIPPED OUT FROM UNDER ME AND I'M LEFT AT THE MERCY OF THE OCEAN!"

"Shh! Johann! Calm down. There's nothing to worry about. We'll go to the location you were sailing in and recover as much cargo as we can. I'll even see if we can replace your ship. Now, where were you when the ship went down?"

Johann tapped his fingers on his forehead, "Ah, yes. Of couse... Sailing... sailing... Where was I saili-Breakneck Bog! I was sailing through Breakneck Bog!"

"Breakneck Bog?" asked Fishlegs, "The territory of the legendary Fog Monster? That Breakneck Bog!?"

Johann pointed to Fishlegs and nodded, "That would be the one, unfortunately."

Snotlout and the twins chuckled among themselves.

"Also," Johann continued, "about the cargo, I don't care if you don't find any. I'm not too worried about them. I can always find others like them. But I am worried about a very special parcel. It has the Berk Crest on it, along with Hiccup's initials."

"Why Hiccup's initials?" asked Snotlout.

"Because, Stoick wants to give it to Hiccup as a wedding gift. Ultimately it was from Hiccup's mother."

Astro stood up and turned for the door, "Alright. You rest, Johann. We'll wake you up when we're ready to go to Breakneck Bog."

"NO!" Johann shouted, "NO! DON'T MAKE ME GO BACK! PLEASE! I BEG YOU!"

"Okay, okay!" Astro answered, making a shushing gesture, "You won't take you with us. But you do need to tell us how to get to Breakneck Bog."

Johann tapped his head again, "Just go east until you find a group of islands shaped like a man's hand. Breakneck Bog is the thumb."

"Thanks Johann." said Astro, "Come on, guys. We gotta find Johann's ship."

000

"Why are we going to this Breakneck Bog?" asked Snotlout, "Aren't we supposed to be looking for Hiccup?"

Astro sat at the bow of the small ship Barik allowed them to take. Stormfly was resting next to Astro, purring contently as Astro scratched behind his horns. "The chest has Hiccup's wedding gift. And it's from her mother. You'd want us to do the same if it were your mother."

Ruffnut hesitated. After taking a moment to process Astro's statement, he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Besides," said Tuffnut, "at least we have a reason to try to get Snotlout killed."

Snotlout glared at Tuffnut.

"Don't you guys understand what we're risking by going to Breakneck Bog?!" yelled Fishlegs, "The Fog Monster surrouneds it's victims in thick fog, making a creepy moaning sound. Then they grab the victim and take it into the air. The literally make it rain bones as they eat their victim alive."

Snotlout crept up behind Fishlegs and mimicked said moaning sound. Fishlegs screamed and ran behind Stormfly.

"Knock it off, Snotlout!" Astro demanded.

Snotlout and the twins moved to the stern of the ship, still laughing to themselves.

Astro mounted Stormfly and flew ahead to scout for the island.


	14. Chapter 14

Falagrim and Draymore sat watching the cave's entrance from afar, hidden in the bushes. They had found strange fog clouds dismantling the ship impaled on a tree. They watched the fog and quickly learned that the fog was created by small dragons to hide them while they stripped the ship of anything made of metal. They had followed the dragons to the cave, and were waiting for the dragons to leave so they could search for Hiccup.

"Alright," said Falagrim, "who's gonna be going inside the cave once these dragons are gone?"

"You are, Falagrim."

Falagrim glared at Draymore, "Oh really? The dragon boy, the shape-shifter, the one person who is able to pull wings and a tail out of his back at any moment, isn't going to go and look for Hiccup in the cave?"

"Well, for one point, you're the one who asked who was going in. Second, I don't want to wait for the dragons to leave. Who knows how long that will be. They'll probably be busy doing whatever they're doing with all that metal. That's why I am going to be drawing them out."

"And how are you going to do that?"

Draymore set down a tool wrapped in fabric. He unwrapped the fabric and displayed duel swords in front of Falagrim.

Falagrim pointed to the swords, "Where did you get those?"

Draymore placed one sword in each hand, "I got them from the ship. I hid them when the smoke-breathers arrived. I'll run away from the cave and make some noise. Once the dragons leave, I need you to go inside and look for Hiccup. Got that?"

"Again, why do I have to look for her in the cave? And what do I use to defend myself?"

"It's a cave full of metal items. I'm sure you'll find something. Plus I think the best bet would be to just leave. Their first priority will be to keep predators away from their home. So just go in, get Hiccup, and get out. I'll try to keep them away as long as I can. I'll meet you in the clearing we saw on the way here. Okay?"

"... Alright, fine. I'll go. Just, don't get killed. Alright?"

"I'll be fine. I promise."

Falagrim inhaled deeply and nodded.

Draymore jumped out of the bushes and ran deeper into the forest, banging the duel swords together and yelling to no one. The young Berkian was immediately pursued by a cloud of fog. Falagrim waited until he could no longer hear the dragons, and quietly entered the cave.

000

Hiccup sat by the metal wall, holding a broken tool handle. She was trying to reach a knife that lay on the cave floor. The knife was out of reach and Hiccup's neck was starting to bruise from pulling against the necklace chain.

Hiccup leaned against the wall to catch her breath once again, "Why? Why did I get stuck _here_? Why couldn't I have been stuck TWO INCHES to the left!?" She looked down at the knife, "Fine. I'll break the chain myself." Hiccup extended her claw and began scratching at the chain.

Hiccup would have spent a very long time working at the chain, had she not heard something else nearby. She heard someone whispering.

"Hiccup?"

For a moment, she was confused as to who the voice belonged to, but as she listened to the voice, she recognized it.

"Hiccup, where are you?"

It was Falagrim.

"I'm over here!"

Falagrim appeared around the corner and sighed with relief, "What happened?"

Hiccup pointed to the knife, "Theses dragons took a bunch of metal from the ship. They ended up taking me with them when they saw the necklace. Next moment I wake up and the necklace was smelted into the wall, including the secure link."

Falagrim took the knife and began sawing at the chain, "Draymore's keeping the dragons occupied while I get you out."

"Any plan for when they come back?"

"Well... he said to leave if they spot us?"

"... Makes sense."

When the chain finally broke, Hiccup jumped and ran to the opposing cave wall, clearly happy to be able to move again. She gave the ruby pendant to Falagrim, who hid it in his bag.

"Alright, " said Falagrim, "let's get out of here."

"You go, I'll be right behind you."

"Why?"

Hiccup began searching the piles, "I need to find a chest. It had my initials on it so someone wanted it sent to me. I need to know what it is."

"I'll help you," Falagrim helped Hiccup move broken ship segments, old weapons, and rusty sheets of metal until they eventually found Hiccup's chest.

"There's no time to find the key. We'll pry it open later. For now, we need to move it out." Hiccup took her place at one end of the chest, "Falagarim, I need your help."

Falagrim grabbed the other end of the chest and both began to make their way to the exit. Hiccup's ears drooped when she noticed smoke reaching into it.

"Okay, I'll keep the dragons away. Falagrim, I need you to carry this out."

Falagrim hid by the wall with the chest while Hiccup ran out into the open with an old metal sheet. Once the dragons saw her, they quickly surrounded her. Hiccup spun around, trying to find them. The only hint she received was an eerie purring noise that quickly grew into a hoarse groan. Hiccup gave up searching and held the sheet above her head. A dragon suddenly shot at her from the smoke, quickly seizing the sheet from her hands and ripping it upwards. Hiccup was thrown off balance and stumbled backward. She could barely see the other dragons surrounding the metal sheet. Hiccup saw her chance and ran after Falagrim out of the cave.

Hiccup and Falagrim ran until they finally saw Draymore waiting for them in the clearing. The boy was laying on the ground, watching the clouds.

"Dray!" Hiccup ran to Draymore and pulled him into a hug.

"Hey, Hiccup!" Draymore laughed, "How was your visit?"

"I'm never going again."

Draymore stood up and noticed the chest in Falagrim's arms, "What's that?"

Falagrim set the chest on the ground, "Hiccup found it on the ship. We just gotta pry it open and find out what it is."

Hiccup and Draymore's ears perked up suddenly. They both looked toward bushes that had been disturbed. Someone was close, and approaching them quickly. Falagrim grabbed a stone from the ground, fearing that the assassins had found them. Hiccup took aim at the bushes, and Draymore shifted forms. When the attackers arrived, they'd be ready.


	15. Chapter 15

The three Vikings formed a circle in the center of the clearing, with each Viking facing one direction. They stood silently and waited for movement. For a moment, only the wind could be heard, racing through the trees. Then, they heard footsteps approaching the clearing. Each set of footsteps varied in size. Some seemed to be small creatures, one of them seemed like a large beast.

Suddenly, the footsteps faded rapidly. There was a moment of silence before a familiar voice could be heard within the forest.

"Hiccup?"

Hiccup and Draymore lowered the guard at the sound of Astro's voice.

"Who's there?" asked Falagrim, "Show yourselves!"

One by one, Astro, Stormfly, and the rest of the Berkian group emerged into the clearing.

Falagrim dropped his stone while Hiccup and Draymore joined the group of Berkians in a group hug.

"What's going on back at Daeka?" asked Hiccup.

"We found the assassins," replied Astro, "You two should be fine from here."

Falagrim stepped forward, "You're sure you got everyone?" He sighed with relief when Astro nodded.

Ruffnut noticed the chest sitting next to Hiccup, "Where'd you get that?"

Hiccup knelt next to the chest and brushed the lock, "I found it in a ship. The ship was impaled on a tree."

"A tree?" Laughed Tuffnut.

"Yeah." Hiccup nodded, "It sounds crazy but that's where it was found. But I think I know how it got there. There's a cave nearby that shelters a flock of smoke-breathing dragons. The dragons use any metal they can find to build some kind of wall, or hive."

"Smokebreaths!" exclaimed Fishlegs.

"What?" asked Ruffnut.

"Smothering Smokebreaths:" Fishlegs repeated, "The Smothering Smokebreath is a Mystery Class dragon that breathes smoke to hide it from predators. As Hiccup said, they use scrap metal to build their nests since it's the strongest material they can find."

"Well, Fishlegs," Astro chuckled, "looks like we found your Fog Monster."

Hiccup tilted her head in confusion, "Fog Monster?"

"You guys are on Breakneck Bog," answered Snotllout, "The island's said to be the home of the 'Legendary Fog Monster' that sinks any ships sailing by the coast and killing the crew. Speaking of which, Falagrim, how's life with dragons so far, eh?"

Falagrim took a quick side-glance at Draymore before smiling awkwardly, "Well, it's not exactly-" Falagrim was interrupted by an unknown force that pushed him to the ground. The Daekan prince cried out in agony and clutched the arrow shaft reaching out of his shoulder.

Multiple Vikings emerged from the brush and trees, all of them taking aim at the injured boy. The Berkian Vikings immediately surrounded Falagrim and prepared for a fight. The was a moment of silence as the leader of the assassins took place in front of them. The assassins were lead by Falagrim's uncle, Mordin.


	16. Chapter 16

Draymore, Astro, and all the other Berkian Vikings quickly gathered around Falagrim to shield him from further injury. Hiccup knelt next to Falagrim and surveyed the wound to treat it.

"Okay," said Hiccup, "I can't pull out the arrow out or you'll bleed out. I need you to lie down on your back and try not to move too much."

Falagrim did what was asked; though it was impossible to do so without wincing from the pain.

"Step aside, children!" Mordin commanded.

"Are you insane?!" yelled Snotlout, "Why are your men shooting at Falagrim? You almost killed him!"

"That criminal is responsible for my son's death! Therefore, that makes him responsible for manslaughter!"

"He told me to run!" said Falagrim.

Mordin shook his head, "You provoked the dragons! And instead of helping my son, you left that boy to die! Because of you, MY BOY IS DEAD! It's your fault he's dead! For that, you must pay the price!"

"Guys!" yelled Fishlegs, "We have to leave! The fog is approaching!"

Fishlegs warning was too late, however. By the time everyone had understood what he said, they were already surrounded by thick fog. The Vikings were nearly blinded by the fog, and were left barely able to see the person next to them. Confusion and panic quickly flooded the fog as everyone was disarmed of weaponry by the Smokebreath dragons. Draymore covered the chest with his wings while Hiccup held it down.

"Just give them your weapons!" exclaimed Hiccup, "They're only here for the metal! They won't harm you if you just give them your weapons!"

Mordin saw that everyone was focused on the Smokebreaths, and ran at the Berkian group, trying to break through to Falagrim. At first, it seemed as though Mordin was going to reach the Daekan prince. However, his efforts were wasted as a Smokebreath ripped his sword from his hand.

An agonized cry was pulled from Falagrim as the arrow was ripped out of his shoulder. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins had to hold Mordin back while Astro and Hiccup tended to Falagrim's wound. They took an old rag from Falagrim's bag and used it to press against the would and help clot the blood.

"Yes, I ran," Falagrim admitted, "But I ran because I was afraid. I didn't want to die. I didn't even realize that he wasn't behind me until I reached the village. I know that I left him behind, Uncle... But I've spent every day wishing I hadn't.

"I wouldn't expect much, Falagrim," said Mordin, "All you had to do was divert the dragon's attention! You could have given him time to run!"

"He was a child!" exclaimed Hiccup, "If he tried to lead the dragons away he would've died too!"

Mordin stared at Hiccup.

"I'll never fully understand, but I know you're in pain. But killing Falagrim won't bring your son back! You'll only be putting his parents through the same pain. Please, Mordin..."

Mordin remained silent as tears began to flood his eyes.

Hiccup gestured to Falagrim, "Don't kill him... please."

Everyone was still for a long time. No one dared disturb the peace that was forming around them as the fog cleared. Finally, Mordin fell to his knees, his face stained with tears. The sorrowful man buried his face in the palm of his hands as Stoick and Barik appeared from the forest with Daekan guards. Mordin was granted a moment to calm himself before he and his assassins were aprehended.


	17. Chapter 17

Falagrim was taken to the ship's infirmary while a voyage was set for Daeka. His wound would leave his arm in a splint for a month or two, but he would make a recovery otherwise.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this, Hiccup Haddock," admitted Barik.

Hiccup sat next to Falagrim's gurney, resting her hand on his uninjured arm, "It's okay. No one saw this coming. I'm just glad it didn't go worse for anyone."

"Plus she goes through this stuff a lot;" added Snotlout, "pretty much on a daily basis."

Falagrim laughed, "That better not be a daily basis if she's gonna live here."

Barik and Stoick exchanged glances before Stoick stepped forward, "Will you all excuse us? Hiccup and Falagrim need to have a word with us."

There was an awkward silence as the servants left the infirmary. They were slowly followed by the Berkian Vikings, but eventually, there was privacy.

Hiccup and Falagrim looked to their fathers, waiting for one of them to speak.

Barik folded his hands in front of him, "Falagrim. I want you to answer honestly. Is this what you want? Do you wish to have Hiccup as your bride?"

Falagrim glanced at Hiccup, "I..."

"Hiccup," Barik continued, "I ask you the same, do you want Falagrim to be your groom? Are you both happy with this betrothal?"

Hiccup and Falagrim stared at each other for a long time. Eventually, Falagerim shook his head, and Hiccup answered, "No..."

"We suspected you weren't," confessed Stoick, "That's why we paid close attention to you two. We've seen the way you two are between each other and your friends."

Hiccup remembered being with her friends the night before the ceremony. She remembered hearing something nearby as she and Astro comforted each other. That must have been Stoick or Barik watching her.

"Stoick and I have decided to offer you both a chance to cancel the arrangement; if it is what you both want." explained Barik. "Hiccup, you can go home. Falagrim, you can find your own partner. You won't marry if you don't want to."

Hiccup looked toward the door, "What about the ceremony? What about the people?"

"Stoick and I will handle the announcement. If you two believe you aren't ready, we'll understand."

Again, the betrothed shared a glance at one another. There was more silence before they both nodded.

"Then it's settled," said Barik. "You are no longer betrothed. You can go home. Until then, I'll let you and your friends stay as long as you need to heal from any injuries you sustained."

"Thank you, Barik." said Stoick. "Hiccup, you can go. Falagrim, you need to rest."

Hiccup stood and walked to the door. She looked back once more, giving Barik a thankful smile before leaving the infirmary.


	18. Chapter 18

A few days passed before Stoick had everyone prepare to their voyage back to Berk. The word was quickly spread throughout the village of Hiccup and Falagrim's betrothal being cancelled. The artifacts used within the ceremony were put into storage to await their next betrothal. Stoick had a message brought back to Berk ahead of them to inform the village of the news. Hiccup and Falagrim were anxious for disappointing some Vikings that were looking forward to the wedding, but they were relieved that they could move on peacefully. Mordin was put in prison for attacking Falagrim. He would remain there for the next twenty years before he would be released. After his released he would need to serve as Falagrim's bodyguard at ceremonies or voyages away from hope.

Falagrim and Hiccup stood on the docks, just outside the _Scarlet Fortune._ They stood watching as the other Berkian Vikings boarded the ship.

"How's your shouler?" asked Hiccup.

Falagrim smiled, hovering his arm over his shoulder, "It's still sore, but I think I'll be okay." Falagrim glanced at Stormfly as she trotted along with the Vikings, wanting to help them carry the luggage. "I don't understand what made you think to befriend those things. Besides the whole half-dragon thing you have. But I do envy your ability to think of them as friends rather than enemies. Maybe some day I'll be able to go further than tolerance." he looked to Hiccup, "Just promise me you won't make a habit out of kidnapping people like that. Okay?"

Hiccup laughed, "I'll try. Good luck with your shoulder."

"Good luck on your voyage."

"Goodbye."

"Bye."

Hiccup and Falagrim parted ways, but not without glancing back at one another a few times. They gave each other one last wave as Hiccup boarded the ship.

Hiccup was quickly approached by one of the sailors and informed that Stoick wanted her to join him in the captain's quarters.

000

Hiccup and Stoick sat on the edge of the bed, the chest sitting between them on the blanket. Hiccup brushed the her signature with her fingers, wondering what would be hiding in the chest. She looked up to her father.

"Go on," urged Stoick, "Open it."

Hiccup inhaled deeply before lifting the lid of the chest. She peered down and froze. She slowly reached in a lifted a dragon doll from the chest. She remembered this doll. It was a doll that her mother had made for her on the night of her birth. She remembered playing with it while her mother sang to her.

Hiccup's voice cracked as she finally asked, "Where did you get this?"

"Johann found it in a marketplace. It was caught in a fishnet and sold there. He knew it was yours so he bought it and offered to bring it to you."

"When did he find it?"

"Three months ago. I asked him to bring it to Daeka. It was supposed to be my wedding gift to you. I don't know how you lost it but-"

"I threw it into the ocean."

Stoick paused at Hiccup's answer. "Why?"

"I was sick of my wings bring an annoyance to the village, and I threw this doll away in a fit. I was ashamed of it because it was all I had left of Mom. I thought I'd never see it again." Hiccup looked up to Stoick and hugged him, "Thank you!"

Stoick returned his end of the embrace, "Your welcome."


End file.
